Wildlife Feel the Heat from Summertime Policy Rollbacks

[Bayard]

As social distancing puts a damper on summer vacation plans, the heat is on – and it’s America’s wildlife getting burned. Despite the pandemic, the administration continues to undermine environmental policy for industry gain. In the last six weeks, three changes stand out that could have sweeping, negative consequences for wildlife – and people – if finalized.

Issues covered in article:
--Baiting Bears in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
The administration announced a plan in June to abandon federal hunting regulations in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a
reversal that would allow hunters to bait and kill brown bears, an activity never before permitted on the refuge.

--Undermining ‘NEPA,’ the National Environmental Policy Act
Earlier this month, the president finalized a major overhaul of one of the country’s most important environmental laws because of
claims that it slows the construction of highways, pipelines and other projects across the country.

--Undermining Decades of Black-footed Ferret Recovery
This month, the U.S. Forest Service decided to turn its back on its decades-long commitment to return endangered black-footed
ferrets to Thunder Basin National Grassland, a nearly 550,000-acre area in northwest Wyoming. The grassland is home to a large
colony of blacked-tailed prairie dogs, which are essential to the recovery of several vulnerable prairie species, including the
critically endangered black-footed ferrets.
The Forest Service rule change comes at the behest of wealthy local ranchers fearing their livestock could be injured in prairie dog burrows. The proposed rule change would lift restrictions on poisoning and recreational shooting of prairie dogs, jeopardizing the black-footed ferrets’ primary source of food and habitat.

https://defenders.org/blog/2020/07/wildlife-feel-heat-summertime-policy-rollbacks
(photos with copyrights)

I'm sick of wealthy ranchers setting policy!

[Duppers]

1. This makes me furious.

Sent another small donation to help them fight these bully killers. (Donation was small because I donate to them several times a year.)

Thanks for posting, Bayard.